Opera Crypto Browser, a Web3-focused browser designed to work with various decentralized apps (dApps), now supports MetaMask and other third-party wallets.
The upgrade, which the Oslo-based company calls “one of the most significant updates since its inception,” comes as Ethereum prepares to transition from the proof-of-work (PoW) consensus algorithm to a less energy-intensive proof-of-stake (PoS) model later this week.
“The upcoming merge will move Ethereum from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake, making it more scalable, secure, sustainable, and ready to be used by the mainstream user,” Susie Batt, Crypto Ecosystem Lead at Opera, said in an announcement.
According to Batt, “the only browser truly ready for this shift and the only one offering web users all the tools they need to give Web3 a try in a safe environment” is Opera Crypto Browser.
The Opera Crypto Browser is a standalone browser released in January this year to complement the company’s traditional Web2 browser. Aside from dApp support and a non-custodial crypto wallet, it also includes Crypto Corner—a dedicated point of access to the latest industry news, prices, essential metrics like gas fees and market sentiment, educational content, and an event calendar.
Opera introduces a wallet selector, domain handles, and other features
Integrating third-party wallets via the Wallet Selector feature means that, in addition to the browser’s native non-custodial wallet, users can choose any wallet extension available in the Google Chrome or Opera store to interact with a specific dApp or website.
The new Wallet Selector acts as an aggregator of different wallet extensions, automating the connection process by remembering users’ preferences for various websites.
“The built-in selector in the browser allows users to switch between different wallets via a simple UI easily—but it does not have access to private keys or passwords used in third-party extensions.
This means that Opera’s Crypto Browser poses no additional security risks on its own.” stated Yao
The most recent version of the Opera Crypto Browser adds support for human-readable wallet and domain handles provided by services such as Yat, the creator of universal emoji usernames, FIO, and Ethereum Name Service (ENS).
The project also collaborated with DappRadar, a popular platform that allows users to track, analyze, and discover dApps. This collaboration provides Opera Crypto Browser users access to all essential metrics for over 11,000 dApps across 48 protocols and categories, including NFTs, games, and DeFi.
“The integration of DappRadar’s rich, reliable data into Opera’s Crypto Browser provides a significant improvement for Web3 users, providing them with a seamless solution that is understandable and convenient for both mobile and desktop users,” Yao said.
PancakeSwap also integrated in the Crypto Browser
PancakeSwap, the famous Binance Smart Chain (BSC) yield-farming app, has also been integrated with the Crypto Browser and is now available in its native crypto wallet. This integration enables users to trade tokens directly from the wallet without first connecting to an external dApp.
Regarding security, the most recent update includes a phishing detection feature to protect users from hacks and phishing. This is accomplished by blocking blacklisted phishing sites and adding a clipboard protection feature, which, according to the company, ensures that copied wallet addresses or account numbers are the same ones pasted.
The Opera Crypto Browser will also include a malicious address checker in the coming weeks to ensure that users interact with trusted, intelligent contracts and are not being scammed.
“This extra security feature allows Crypto Browser users to check, for example, whether a smart contract is on a special blacklist or has any malicious functions coded, i.e., has previously been reported as a scam, rug pull, fake or malicious smart contract, and so on,” Yao explained.
